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Red Dragon

Finally, a translation!? (don't get your hopes up it's not a good one)
I am a weeb and I like pretty-looking brackets so I'm keeping the brackets appearing in the original text. Of course, quotes are replaced, so everyone can rejoice. If you spot an error, please post it so I can fix it.
I might make a pdf of this once it's all done and error-checked.

All of the images belong to Seikaisha and not me, etc etc.
Thanks to mewarmo, Anserina and Reiu for contributing quite possibly more than me!

(Pitch darkness.)
(Suddenly…a spotlight shines on the stage.)
(A thick and heavy curtain hangs down onto the stage. After a moment of silence, the announcement rings out to the audience.)

“—Ladies and gentlemen.”

(A man’s voice. Although it shows a bit of nervousness, he speaks in a dignified manner.)

“—Ladies and gentlemen, please, lend me your ears.”

“Tonight’s event will be a play lasting only six nights. A one-time showing.”

“The actors are gathered, and the table is set. The idea for this is drawn from the RPGs of the American genius, Mr. Gary Gygax. Although it has the appearance of a written work, this is neither a novel nor a script; nor is it simply the transcription of a play. Despite its cloudy description, I can guarantee that it will be interesting.”

“One of our actors is Nasu Kinoko. He plays a young knight plagued by a curse. Our knight has just formed a pact with the Black Dragon. He is the newest member of the Order of the Dark Dragons, the pride of D’natia, the empire that once ruled the world.”

“One of our actors is Urobuchi Gen. He will be playing a warrior monk of the Eight Claw Clan, a religious sect of Huang’lan, the Dominion of the Rising Sun. He is an assassin who wields the demonic sword Qisha Tianling.”

“One of our actors is Kougyoku Izuki. From Nill Kamui, a small island nation between Donatia and Huang’lan, she plays a sorry slave who has been fused with a demon, a ‘Bound One.’”

“One of our actors is Shimadoriru. Born into the Imperial lineage of a near-human tribe that ruled Nill Kamui in the past, he plays one bestowed with the blessings of the mana streams intertwining sky, sea and earth, whose existence symbolizes Nill Kamui itself.”

“One of the actors is Ryohgo Narita. As for his role, allow us to keep that a mystery for now.”

“At last, the stage waits for the curtain to rise!”
“On this ancient yet modern stage, we must ask you all.”

“Now, if you—if it were you—what kind of decisions would you make if it were you on this stage? Would you be the same as these actors? Or would you come to different conclusions? What do you think of the choices that they make?”

[15:09] <KnightTurtle> "I WILL NOT DIE FOR THE BEAUTY OF MATH. MATH IS MY SOUL AND BLOOD, MY PASSION. MATH IS WHAT KEEPS THE WORLD RIGHT. I WILL ON FOR THE BEAUTY OF NUMBER CRUNCHING, THE MIND NUMBING ABILITY OF CALCULUS, THE SOUL OF THE BARE BASICS OF ARITHMETIC"
[21:21] <+EnigmaticFellow> we derive fun from integration

It was a scorching, parched wind.
A feverish wind.
Blowing down from the summit of the volcano, it completely drained the air of water, and smothered it in sulfur. Just smelling the stench made one realize that it was a different world. To short-lived humans, it must seem like a place where breathing was simply not permitted.

In this place, be it the air or the sand, everything seemed like it was meant to be there.
But…
Now.
A group of people walked silently on the hillside.
They were all prepared to die, but nonetheless clung to something even more important than life in the depths of their hearts.
Worn-out soles, roughly hewn leather armor… this equipment would be seen as unimaginably inferior by even the poor armies of the island. Despite that, intense determination burned in everyone’s eyes. Every one of them, through sheer willpower, had already surmounted the terror of facing what dwelled in that volcano.
Moreover, it was not just humans marching among them. Among the panting troops, there were young boys and girls dressed in tattered clothes, with all sorts of monsters following them. If you looked closely, you would see that the boys and girls had strange vines growing from their bodies, which connected them to these monsters.
They were native to this island; a race of people called “Bound Ones”, fusions of monsters and humans. They were all very young, as almost all Bound Ones died before the age of 16.

It was like a march with death at stake, for the adults and children and monsters alike.
—And I,
I, too, was among them.

Fiction Master (henceforth FM): Please, Miss Kouygoku.

Kougyoku Izuki: (nods nervously) Y-Yes. Thank you! Oh, wow, there’s music… it makes it feel like a movie…! Umm, I am mixed in with the troops at the volcano, right? Right?
FM: Then we’re good to proceed. …You have a book with you, correct?
Kougyoku Izuki: Ah, yes. (flips the pages) Wow, this is amazing! This is a book of my character, isn’t it? There are so many numbers and illustrations!
FM: That is a character book. The life and experiences of the character that you created are all in this book. You could say that it is your character itself.
Kougyoku Izuki: Wow, it’s true. It really is! You even collected together what we decided before…(Engrossed in turning the pages)
FM: Well then, please introduce yourself.
Kougyoku Izuki: Oh, right! (calms down) My name is Eiha. I am only ten years old, but I have already been sold as a slave to many different places, and I am a girl who has already given up hope on life. I am a Bound One who was born fused with a monster, who I named Val, and I am connected to him through magical vines.
FM: Ohh, ten years old. Such a cruel life… From now on, we will call you Eiha.
Kougyoku Izuki → Eiha: Okay!
FM: Then, this Val that you are connected with. What kind of demon is it?
Eiha: It is a monster with the shape of a huge dog, with eyes that have been crushed and bat wings! It has a pure white body that is so thin you can almost see the bones, and a long tongue that is always drooping out of its mouth. Its breath is a little poisonous, so we have to pay attention and not get nearby people poisoned.
FM: H-How grotesque…
Eiha: It’s not grotesque! Its gross parts are cute, and I won’t back down on that fact! (Forcefully) Its smashed eyes are wrapped in bandages, I even tuck cute seasonal flowers in them. Even though they wilt because of Val’s poison, I replace them with fresh ones once they do, because I love my Val.

To tell the truth, most of the people I meet think Val is disgusting.
He is large enough to swallow an entire person in one gulp. And yet, he is so thin that his ribcage shows through. His stiff fur is easy to hold on to, too, but other people simply see him as some ominous beast covered in blood and dirt.
But that doesn’t concern me at all.
I am Val, and Val is me— no, I should say that I am just a part of Val.

FM: U-Understood. Well, please take this. (He presents a miniature)
Eiha: What? Ah, it’s Eiha! She’s become a paper figure! Ahaha, Val is so much bigger! (Laughs)
FM: This should help you get a better feel for the character. You’ve been riding Val the whole march, right?
Eiha: Yes! Oh yeah, the volcano’s wind makes his fur much stiffer than usual, so it’s like he huddles away from it. (Puts Eiha piece on Val’s)
FM: That sounds a little painful. (Laughs)
Eiha: We’re already used to it. (Laughs) So, it seems that we stay a little bit farther behind because the troops can’t quite get used to it.
FM: I see. And then, as you’re marching, a mountain slowly approaches you from behind.
Eiha: A mountain!?
FM: Strictly speaking, it’s a giant the size of a small mountain. It’s just like you and the other monsters within the troops—a Bound One who shares its life with a human. (Puts another figure on the table)
Eiha: S-such huge monsters exist, then. Val is already large enough…(Eyes the figure) Wow, it really is bigger than Val!

I couldn’t think of it as anything other than a mountain.
I don’t know how many times I have tilted my head up to look at it, but it always makes my neck hurt.
If you gathered together all of the Bound Ones on Nill Kamui, you probably wouldn’t find a person connected to a bigger monster than that.

Eiha: So…exactly how tall is this?
FM: Up to its shoulders, in Donatian units, is forty meldas. If you convert that into modern units it would be forty meters.
Eiha: F-forty meters!?
FM: Yes, forty meters. From atop its shoulders, a young boy shouts, “We’re stopping for a break!” The entire army hears this and sits down to rest. They take off their shoes, drink some water from a dirty water skin, and try to make the most of the short breather.
Eiha: Haah…. Then I might as well get down from Val’s back—but it’s a bother to stray too far, so I’ll just let Val curl up and lie down in the middle.
FM: Val’s monster abilities aside, your body is only that of a ten year old girl. Even if you are only holding on to him, it must be tiring. …Now, the young boy, the Bound One who was standing in the palm of that stone giant, is being set down next to you.
Eiha: The person from before?
FM (Boy): Yup. “Miss Eiha, could I talk to you for a moment?”

Eiha: Eh, ah, hmm, is this person the leader of the troops?
FM: He is the leader of this combat unit of the Revolutionary Army. His name is Izun. Even though he’s young, he is capable of controlling this stone giant, and so no one can surpass him in terms of fighting strength.
Eiha: That’s true. After all, it’s forty meters tall. (agreement) Then… I reply with a small yawn.
FM (Izun): A yawn, is it. (Laughs) Then, with slight confusion, Izun says, “Well, I was just wondering if you were tired or not. We’ve walked a long way, haven’t we?”

“Doesn’t it kind of feel like we’ve walked enough for a lifetime?” wonders Izun as he scratches his cheek.
Sometimes he talks to me like this.
You could call him a strange person. Among the Bound Ones, he is the only one who makes conversation with me.
But even now, I can only stare vacantly at Izun, who is earnestly trying to talk to me.

FM (Izun): “But outside of the island is guaranteed to be even more vast. Master Agito used to say this a lot. I’ve talked to you about Master Agito a few times before, right?”
Eiha: Master Agito? Hmm… I don’t remember him very well so I shake my head.
FM (Izun): You don’t remember him. (Laughs) He keeps going, a little shocked. “Umm, you know, three years ago he was captured in the Seven Years’ War, and he was our first mentor. Since then, Mistress Eudina and I have been entrusted with the Revolutionary Army. But Mistress Eudina aside, all of this is way cooler when Master Agito tells it.
Eiha: Ahh, he admires him.
FM: Indeed. For him, Agito is who he looks up to. No matter how many battles he has been through, Izun’s mind is still that of a young boy.

“If it were him, he would definitely be able to repel Donatia and Huang’lan. He’ll create a country where we Bound Ones and Hybrids can live a life free of discrimination.”
It seemed like I was watching him from far away as Izun forcefully made a fist while saying those words.
What shining eyes, I thought.
Though we had the same circumstances, those sparkling eyes made me feel distant.

FM (Izun): “It seems like Master Agito will be pardoned soon. Because he was very popular with the people during the Seven Years’ War, even the Nill Kamui government won’t be able to ignore it, and he’ll finally be out of prison…”
Eiha: Hmm…
FM: What is it?
Eiha: If he’s that important to you, why are you in a place like this instead of being there to see him walk free?
FM: Well, who knows. The conversation gets broken off here, and Izun says to you, “Oh, that’s right. I came to talk to you because there was a person I wanted you to meet.”
Eiha: …Who?
FM: After a nod, the stone giant connected to Izun delicately lowers a litter. It is decorated completely differently from the army equipment, and is obviously the work of a master artisan.
Eiha: How splendid!
FM (Izun): After saying “Bow your head”, Izun kneels in front of the litter. Glancing at Eiha, he performs Nill Kamui’s traditional salute, crossing his arms over his chest.
Eiha: I casually jump onto Val’s back and lower my head, and Val follows suit.
FM: How cute. (Laughs) Then, Izun speaks towards the litter. “Lord Ibuki, would you grant us the honor of an audience?”
Eiha: Lord Ibuki?
FM: Yes. Now, Mr. Shimadoriru, please make your appearance.

With a shock, I feel a pain ripping through my back.
It has always been like that. It is a kind of numbing pain that makes me feel like I have been helplessly dragged into a huge current.
For example.
For example, the time when Val and I were in the depths of the forest, were caught by hunters, and had bows pointed at us.
For example, when another Bound One, a friend of mine under the same slave merchant, accidentally dropped a spoon under a Donatia nobleman’s feet (the next day her head was cut off).
For example, when some earl bought me, and I was forcibly recruited by this self-proclaimed “Revolutionary Army” — I made a stupid choice, and made friends despite having decided long ago to never make friends again—and we have operated together for more than a year since we met.
This time will probably end up like that again.
I will once again helplessly have my fate rewritten.
I am different from Izun, and different from her…there is no future to be seen in my eyes.
Perhaps feeling the same pain, Val growls softly.
And then—

The litter’s curtains are parted from the inside.

Last edited by Lianru; March 30th, 2013 at 11:53 AM.

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[15:09] <KnightTurtle> "I WILL NOT DIE FOR THE BEAUTY OF MATH. MATH IS MY SOUL AND BLOOD, MY PASSION. MATH IS WHAT KEEPS THE WORLD RIGHT. I WILL ON FOR THE BEAUTY OF NUMBER CRUNCHING, THE MIND NUMBING ABILITY OF CALCULUS, THE SOUL OF THE BARE BASICS OF ARITHMETIC"
[21:21] <+EnigmaticFellow> we derive fun from integration

iirc Lian was saying she was translating directly from the sessions put up online and not the novel things they made after each session was done.

Actually, just now I found pictures of the "novel", and it looks exactly the same as the site except vertical text instead of horizontal (lol).

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[15:09] <KnightTurtle> "I WILL NOT DIE FOR THE BEAUTY OF MATH. MATH IS MY SOUL AND BLOOD, MY PASSION. MATH IS WHAT KEEPS THE WORLD RIGHT. I WILL ON FOR THE BEAUTY OF NUMBER CRUNCHING, THE MIND NUMBING ABILITY OF CALCULUS, THE SOUL OF THE BARE BASICS OF ARITHMETIC"
[21:21] <+EnigmaticFellow> we derive fun from integration

I'm down to help, too. Hollow is getting boring. Though, I've only read the first part of Session 1 so far. Let me know what you're doing so we don't clash.

EDIT: maybe not such a good idea if I"m behind on the reading. I'm gonna read ahead first. I can edit your translation if you like.

EDIT2: omg looool percentage dice

EDIT3: holy god I am going to bring BGM music next time I DM some D&D.

EDIT4: Pen and paper RPGs really are the most fun with people who haven't played them before. Regular gamers metagame too much (think in game terms outside the bounds of their character and universe, bad form and sometimes cheating)

Player Characters

Player Characters

Eiha (Kougyoku Izuki)

Bound One. A slave bonded from birth to a monster.

A young girl who lives as a "Bound One", Eiha is one of a race of peoples native to the island, bonded from birth to ferocious monsters by vine-like chains. Her life is bound to Val, a huge canine creature with batlike wings but no eyes. Living like an animal in the wild, she was abducted by humans and made to serve noble after noble, until one day she met another Bound One named Juna, and joined the Revolutionary Army.

Ibuki (Shimadoriru)

Scion to an imperial lineage which has governed a land where the dead return to life.

Ibuki was born with a twin sister as the descendants of the imperial line, which once ruled Nill Kamui. Hated by society thanks to the prophecies of an oracle, Ibuki would have been destined for execution but for the intervention of his mother Hana Guya, who arranged for her child to go into hiding with his grandparents. One day, he was awakened to the tragedies of the world when he met the Red Dragon. Ibuki despaired, but knowing his true heritage, he joined the Revolutionary Army in hopes of changing the world for the better.

Lou Zhenjie (Urobuchi Gen)

A warrior monk of the Eight Claw Clan who hails from a religious sect in Huanglan, Dominion of the Rising Sun.

The warrior monk Lou comes from a religious sect in Huanglan, one of the world's two great powers opposite D'natia. With the guidance of his sentient, demonic sword Qisha Tianling, he is an accomplished assassin. His well-known reputation for killing any and all targets has earned Lou an ominious reputation in the underworld. He only measures a persons worth by whether they "can be killed or not," and uses his unique ability to keenly observe subjects even in his peripheral vision to calculate the perfect time to strike.

Swallow Cratsvalley (Nasu Kinoko)

A proud Black Dragon Knight of D'natia, the empire that rules the world.

Swallow is a young noble member of the Black Dragons, the D'natian Empire's greatest knightly order. He is bound by a curse of Pulverization, which destroys any tools he uses with his hands. After forming a True Pact with his order's patron deity, the Black Dragon, Swallow gains the power to oppose the Seven Dragons themselves, in order to subjugate the rampaging Red Dragon. Together with his servant Meryll, he joins the international Joint Investigation Task Force and sets off for the island of Nill Kamui.

Some notes about consistency:
-Cratsvalley? please? ;_;
-The official site uses two different sets of spellings for each country: D'natia, Koran, and Nil Kamui; and then Donatia, Kouran, and Nill Kamui. I use the second set.
-I like the idea of using Huang Lan instead of Kouran, actually. Since I do it for all the other words anyways.
-Qisa Tianling -> Qisha Tianling
-Meryl -> Meryll (although it doesn't really matter it saves me a find and replace lol)
-I like "Bound One", "curse of Pulverization" and "True Pact" so I'ma steal those :3
-Black Dragon (Knight) instead of Dark Dragon (Knight) ? The alliteration in the latter is nice ;w;
-Since mewarmo is so much better than I am at finding nice English words to fit proper nouns, how would you translate 遙か前世より、何度も記憶と魂を受け渡しているという神秘の姫――黄爛霊母(こうらんれいぼ)が支配する、旭日の大国。 ?

Acts II-V will be posted soon.

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[15:09] <KnightTurtle> "I WILL NOT DIE FOR THE BEAUTY OF MATH. MATH IS MY SOUL AND BLOOD, MY PASSION. MATH IS WHAT KEEPS THE WORLD RIGHT. I WILL ON FOR THE BEAUTY OF NUMBER CRUNCHING, THE MIND NUMBING ABILITY OF CALCULUS, THE SOUL OF THE BARE BASICS OF ARITHMETIC"
[21:21] <+EnigmaticFellow> we derive fun from integration

“—Lord Ibuki, would you grant us the honor of an audience?”
At the sound of the voice, my shoulders shudder involuntarily.
“*gulp*”
I swallow nervously.
Grant an audience. In the village, no one had said such words to me even once.
The village, now burned to the ground.
Before I was found by these people who call themselves the Revolutionary Army, I was just sitting in the burnt wreckage, stupefied.
“…”
I gulp once again.
And then I quietly resolve to face these people who address me as an ‘Imperial’.

Shimadoriru: I-I’m here! Um, I’m inside the litter, aren’t I?
FM: That’s right. What will you do? Replying without showing your face is okay too.
Shimadoriru → Ibuki: Ah, no, I’ll come out, I’ll come out! I’m very interested so I’ll show my face!
FM: OK. Then, you pull a rope from the inside, and the curtain over the litter rises. Take this, please. (Pulls out the Ibuki figure)
Eiha: He has a paper figure too!
FM: Every player character has one, you know. (Laughs) What appears before Eiha is likely a “Hybrid” whose genes have been mixed with those of monsters— well, supposedly, but this boy carries a mysterious air of divinity.

I am being watched, I think.
The single horn that recently has begun to grow from my forehead.
The people who found me on that burned wasteland told me that it is proof of the imperial line.

FM (Izun): “How do you fare today?”
Ibuki: (bewildered) I-I am feeling... well.
Eiha: He’s so cute when he’s nervous. (Laughs)
FM (Izun): Please continue like that. (Laughs) Then, Izun faces Ibuki and says, “This is Eiha. Among the Bound Ones, she is particularly strong, and I had hoped to make her your escort.”
Ibuki: Miss… Eiha.
FM (Izun): He then turns to Eiha with a “Do you understand? This is Lord Ibuki. He, who we found on the island, is one of the Imperial line, of which there are less than ten people remaining.
Eiha: Imperial line?
Ibuki: Ah, yes! I am a descendant of the Imperial line which has continued to govern this island. Actually, up until recently, I did not know that I was one of the imperial line, and was living a peaceful life in a village, but it was burned down a little.
Eiha: Burned down a little!?
Ibuki: Yes. A lot happened! And then because of the shock of the incident my imperial lineage awakened and I grew a horn, and about that time was when I was picked up by the Revolutionary Army.
Eiha: It seems like you have some tough circumstances, too…
FM: Have the player introductions finished? Then Izun says to Eiha, “I want you to protect Lord Ibuki.”
Eiha: Protect him? From what?
FM (Izun): “From blades, from spears, from magic, from all kinds of threats. Then, surely, we will one day be free.
Eiha: Free...

The girl in front of me cocks her head like a bird.
The monster by her side, which resembles a mix of dog and bat, copies her movement. After seeing this, I begin to understand that they really are Bound Ones.

Ibuki: Wow…
FM: What’s wrong?
Ibuki: Well, see, after seeing the pieces on the table and having that conversation, this seems really game-y, but I also get the feeling we’re creating a story.
FM: I’m glad to hear that. (Laughs) Then, during the pause, Izun addresses Ibuki again. “By the way, Lord Ibuki.”
Ibuki: Ah, yes?
FM (Izun): “…Can you really speak with the 〈Red Dragon〉?”
Ibuki: …Eh?

In an instant, my mind went blank.

FM: That’s a good reaction. (Laughs)
Ibuki: Eh? Eh? Ehh? No, um. How? Well, it is true that I once met the, uh, 〈Red Dragon〉, but…
FM (Izun): “Ah, Eiha only just recently joined us, and I haven’t explained it fully yet. We are going to speak with the 〈Red Dragon〉.”
Eiha: The 〈Red Dragon〉?
FM (Izun): “Yes, apparently Lord Ibuki has met it before. So, if we can persuade it together with Lord Ibuki, we can receive the support of the 〈Red Dragon〉.”
Eiha: (Tilts head) Is Ibuki going to ride the 〈Red Dragon〉? I don’t see any vines on him.
FM (Izun): “Even if he is not a Bound One, we should still be able to communicate. Can we not converse with Lord Ibuki as well?”
Eiha: My face expresses slight disagreement. I think that if I were to truly communicate from the heart, the only one who would understand my words would be Val, who I am connected to magically.
FM: I see. …Ah, it seems that Mr. Shimadoriru has become tense again. (Laughs)
Ibuki: (Shakes head) …Well, I suppose that’s true. We met, that is for sure. But, we never really had a proper conversation, so I didn’t think that we would immediately move to this kind of topic…
FM: To tell the truth, Ibuki’s frame of mind should be similar to that of yours right now, Mr. Shimadoriru. You get taken away without understanding anything, get brought to the volcano without understanding anything, and then you are asked to speak with the 〈Red Dragon〉 without understanding anything. (Laughs)
Ibuki: And I lived such a peaceful and ordinary life in the village…

That’s right.
I always thought of myself as a normal child.
Even if I did meet the 〈Red Dragon〉, that was just a coincidence.

FM: To you, it was a coincidence, but the others didn’t think so. Shall we wait until you’re ready?
Ibuki: …Haa, *sigh*… (Takes a deep breath) No, I’m all right now.
FM: Then, Izun repeats himself. “Lord Ibuki, we believe in you. That you, an Imperial, were able to survive such an encounter brings hope to us all. You will surely be able to persuade the 〈Red Dragon〉.”
Ibuki: Ah, ah, yes. I’m sure it’ll turn out well.
FM: Oh, Izun’s face brightens at these words. He faces the Revolutionary Army and shouts, “Everyone! Do not fear! The 〈Red Dragon〉 is not our enemy! Lord Ibuki has so spoken!”
Ibuki: …
Eiha: Ah, his expression says, “Now I’ve done it.” (Laughs)
FM: The entire army responds with a thunderous war cry. The Imperial heir’s words seem to bring everyone back to life. After this, Izun passes a headscarf to Ibuki.
Ibuki: A headscarf?
FM (Izun): “This a magical scarf to cover up your horn. It will stand out too much if you have to go into a town.”
Ibuki: Ah, I see. Then I accept it with gratitude.
FM (Izun): “From now on, Eiha will be responsible for Lord Ibuki’s litter. Please listen to Lord Ibuki’s instructions.”
Eiha: Got it. I’ll have Val hold onto it.

The one lightly carrying my litter is now the magical beast called Val.
Although it is thin enough that its ribs show through, it is far stronger than it looks. Mr. Izun said that they were special even among the Bound Ones, and it seems he wasn’t lying.
I slowly scale the mountain with the Revolutionary Army.
“…”
A chill runs through me.
Ever since this horn grew on my head, my senses have become much sharper. Of course, this applies to the things I can see, but now I can even perceive even things I cannot see.
And that sixth sense is bugging me.
Something incredible is gradually approaching, and it gives me chills.
A fierce, condensed mass of power.
It’s the same as what I saw before—

FM: Along the way, you encounter magical beasts attracted by this intense magical aura, but Eiha’s strength repels them without difficulty. After repeating this a few times… that’s right, Ibuki must use his 【Sense】 to make a successful check. Please use these dice.

Eiha: Wow, what are these? They’re obviously dice but they’re not cubic, so which face are you supposed to look at?
FM: These are special ten-sided dice. Of course, you still look at the side on top.
Ibuki: (Picks up the dice) Ten-sided dice…!
FM: The numbers 1-0 (10) are on these dice. One die is the tens place, and the other is the ones place, so combined they can roll numbers up to 100. Ibuki’s character book should have a number for 【Perception】, right?
Ibuki: Ah, yes! It says 80%!
FM: Then if you roll below an 80 on these dice, you will succeed. For most people it is about 40%, but Ibuki’s senses are twice as sharp as those of an average person. Then, please roll.
Ibuki: O-Okay. Wow, this feels so game-like. There! (Rolls the dice) Umm… 63!
FM: Success. As one of the Imperial line you are sensitive to magic, so you accurately guide the Revolutionary Army to the cave lair of the 〈Red Dragon〉. (Gestures to a staff member)

(A gigantic dragon figure is placed onto the table. The music changes.)

Ibuki: It’s huge! And the music changed!
Eiha: Waaaaaaaaah! The dragon appeared! It’s even bigger than that stone giant! The music is scary!
FM: At the sight of the dragon, the army soldiers sigh with reverence and sink to their knees and cross their arms in Nill Kamui’s traditional salute, just as Izun did. On this island, the 〈Red Dragon〉 is probably just as revered and loved as Imperials like you, Ibuki.
Ibuki: So basically, the Imperials are just as awesome as this dragon…!?
FM: On this island, yes. People are so emotionally moved they are sobbing things like “It’s the great Red Dragon…”, or “I never thought I would meet both an Imperial lord and the Red Dragon... and in the same day...”
Eiha: This is crazy…
FM: Then, Izun addresses Ibuki inside the litter. “Now, my lord! Please speak with the 〈Red Dragon〉!”
Ibuki: (Extremely flustered) S-Speak with it?
FM: Everyone is looking at you, waiting to see exactly what you will say to the dragon.
Ibuki: W-Will my voice carry?
FM: Though it’s some distance to the cave, if you raise your voice it should reach. The dragon slowly turns to face you all. Its drooling maw and bloodshot eyes look somewhat different, but this is definitely the 〈Red Dragon〉 that you met before. What will you do?
Ibuki: First of all… I am at a loss for words.

That’s right.
I’ve met it before.
Two years ago, during the incident that completely changed my worldview.
I kept my secret even until the village had been reduced to ashes. I had met a dragon in the nearby forest, but how could I explain such a fairy tale to the villagers?
Still.
Is this really the same dragon from back then?
The dragon that seemed to kindly look down on a frightened boy — did I just imagine it?

Ibuki: …It’s no good. It’s just like before… I can’t say anything. I’m sorry.
FM: Is that so? You’ve come all this way to meet the 〈Red Dragon〉. Are you just going to end it without having said anything?
Ibuki: …Yes.

FM: As Ibuki remains silently dumbfounded, a torrent of flame suddenly erupts from the 〈Red Dragon〉’s mouth!
Ibuki: Hueah? (Unintelligible noise)
FM: On the right flank, where Ibuki is not present… (Rolls the dice) 30 times 100 is 3000 points of damage from the dragon’s Fire Breath, with a range of approximately 1 kilometer. The Revolutionary Army troops that you scaled the mountain together with are burned to a crisp…
Eiha: Huh?
FM: Everything happens in a split second. The burned troops die instantly. The troops outside of the breath’s range do not react for several seconds, and then scream out, “My Lord Imperial…? 〈Red Dragon〉…? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” and scatter in all directions.
Ibuki: Ah, ah… Struck with despair, I am at an utter loss…
FM: Understood. The soldiers and Bound Ones who couldn’t get away scream in terror or collapse onto the ground, and even more of them cling to Ibuki’s feet. “Why would the great Red Dragon do this?!” “M-My lord, was it a lie!? Did you not tell us it would be fine!?”
Ibuki: (His face is paralyzed in a stiff smile)
Eiha: …I will take Ibuki and run. Val will carry Ibuki’s litter, and I will ride down the mountain!
FM: OK. Then, as Eiha turns to flee, many brave soldiers and the stone giant charge past you at the 〈Red Dragon〉 and lock into conflict with it.

It was like a scene from a fairy tale.
The dragon’s breath melted everything, even stone.
The mountainside liquefied like so much sugar before hot water. Stomping through it, the stone giant seizes the dragon’s lower jaw, roaring like thunder. No, even a fairy tale wouldn’t contain this nonsense.
Everything is... far away.
Everything is... like a dream.
Everything is empty, and I close my eyes…

FM: While Izun’s stone giant holds it back, countless elite soldiers swarm to the dragon.
Eiha: …!
FM: (Rolls the dice) The first person does 13 damage. It doesn’t have any effect.
Ibuki: I-It’s useless.
FM: (Rolls the dice) The second person does 17 damage. The third person does 16 damage. For an ordinary Bound One or soldier this would be a lot of damage, but they’re unable to even scratch one of the dragon’s scales. Eiha, what will you do?
Eiha: Run for our lives! We obviously can’t win against a monster like that!
FM: Yeah. From behind the stone giant, Izun cries, “Yes! Run quickly! Bring Lord Ibuki to Master Agito! To Shuka!” As he says this, the claws and teeth of the dragon steadily reduce the stone giant’s body to rubble. Parts of its flank have been torn out, and the head is destroyed... you take this opportunity to flee.
Eiha: …I’m sorry, Izun.
FM: Now, the second round of Dragon Breath. (Rolls dice) The range is 1 kilometer. 3600 damage of fiery breath is aimed at you, but Izun intercepts it.
Eiha: (In a choking voice) O… Okay.
FM: The stone giant tears off its remaining right hand and throws it in order to protect you from the breath. …Miss Eiha, I must ask you one thing.
Eiha: What… is it?
FM: Looking at the size of the stone that was thrown, there is only enough space to cover either you and Val, or Ibuki’s litter.
Ibuki: …Eh?
FM: There is no time to leave the litter while fleeing. Please choose whether you would like to throw the litter behind it, or hide behind it yourself.
Eiha: Wow, um…
FM: (Looks at clock) I will give you two minutes. If you cannot decide then both of you will be burned. Strictly speaking this is only a matter of seconds, but we can say that life-or-death situations seem to pass very slowly.
Eiha: Ah, ah… This the first time I have met Ibuki, isn’t it?
FM: You only recently joined up with this unit. Before that, you had never seen Ibuki, the boy within the litter.
Ibuki: I…
Eiha: …Only one of us, can live…
FM: You have forty seconds left. Please make a decision.
Eiha: ….I’ve decided. I will throw Ibuki’s litter behind the stone!
FM: Understood. Taking the litter in its teeth, Val hurls it behind the slab of rock. As soon as you see this happen, the dragon’s breath engulfs the stone giant as well as you and Val. I need not explain the result of this 3600 damage.
Eiha: …Okay.
FM: Your entire body is burned, and your surroundings dissolve into lava. Here, the second act ends. For the next scene, please call for Mr. Nasu Kinoko.

Last edited by Lianru; March 30th, 2013 at 11:55 AM.

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[15:09] <KnightTurtle> "I WILL NOT DIE FOR THE BEAUTY OF MATH. MATH IS MY SOUL AND BLOOD, MY PASSION. MATH IS WHAT KEEPS THE WORLD RIGHT. I WILL ON FOR THE BEAUTY OF NUMBER CRUNCHING, THE MIND NUMBING ABILITY OF CALCULUS, THE SOUL OF THE BARE BASICS OF ARITHMETIC"
[21:21] <+EnigmaticFellow> we derive fun from integration

I thought about this for a moment, too. I went with Black Dragon because I suspect the other five dragons all have specific colors. Like in D&D, although that's where the similarity seems to end.

-Since mewarmo is so much better than I am at finding nice English words to fit proper nouns, how would you translate 遙か前世より、何度も記憶と魂を受け渡しているという神秘の姫――黄爛霊母(こうらんれいぼ)が支配する、旭日の大国。 ?

I haven't read this far yet, but Matriarch of Huang Lan, maybe? Matron? Empress (but it says princess/young lady)? I don't yet know how important the "spirit" part is. If it comes up, you might have to find something else.